- Overview
- By Industry
- Banking
- Business and Professional Markets
- Capital Markets
- Commercial Real Estate
- Federal/Public Sector
- Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
- Independent Software Vendors
- Insurance
- Lending
- Manufacturing
- Media/Entertainment
- Transportation/Distribution/Logistics
- Utilities/Telco
- By Area of Expertise
- Business Intelligence
- Custom .NET Application Development
- Enterprise Application Integration
- Workflow and Collaboration
Case Studies
Project Partnership Benefits Global Package Delivery Company
Project at a Glance |
|---|
RDA has provided custom application development services for a global package delivery company for a variety of projects since 1998. Our partnership with this client has resulted in numerous successful IT solutions, saving our client money, streamlining their processes, and enhancing their customer service, keeping them at the forefront of their industry. |
About Our Client
RDA's client is a leading package delivery company and a provider of specialized transportation and logistics services.
Project Details
RDA has provided custom application development services to this client for a variety of projects since 1998. Following is a summary of some of our most significant efforts.
Delivery Validation ServiceThe delivery validation service system tracks time and transit information within the client hub and feeder locations. Client field personnel constantly evaluate delivery times from one processing unit to another. This data is used to generate guaranteed ground delivery times. It is accessed throughout the corporation and is critical to operations.
Prior to this project, the validation system resided on a mainframe and involved an error-prone, time-intensive, paper-based manual entry and approval process for all updates. RDA created an intranet application to streamline this process and dramatically improve efficiency. The app is a globally accessible, centralized system for delivery data modifications. It provides service centers with the most current data available and allows them to generate customized regional maps showcasing guaranteed ground delivery times.
Oracle version 8.0 was chosen for the database due to the client decision to standardize on one database vendor throughout the company. Visual Basic Active Documents were used as downloadable objects for the client's browsers. ASP pages were implemented on the backend, which calls various business objects created using ATL.
Corporate Security Reporting SystemWorking with the client, RDA developed and implemented a system to automate the process of gathering and reporting security incident data (including internal investigations, alarm monitoring, and shipping-related criminal activity that sometimes involved working with the FBI, CIA and/or DEA). The Corporate Security Reporting System (CSRS) replaced a time-consuming and labor intensive manual record-keeping system. It allows our client to easily collect data, centrally store it, and create detailed, custom reports.
The chosen architecture for the Corporate Security Reporting System was an Intranet-based solution using IIS, ASP and Visual Basic 6.0 Web Classes. The RDBMS selected was Microsoft SQL Server 7.0. Phase I of the system consisted of the following components:
- A central data warehouse store (Microsoft SQL Server).
- A front-end application for entering incident data into the data warehouse.
- Reporting utilities or modules.
- A Web-based interface to the data warehouse.
As the hardware lifespan of our client's third generation mobile data collection device approached their end, our client needed to decide whether to buy more of the same devices or to upgrade to Version 4. The device captures all package delivery information, which allows for the package tracking services that our client provides. Package tracking is critical to the company because their competitors also provide this service.
RDA customized and implemented tests using BSquare CEValidator to validate the WinCE implementation on Version 4. This confirmed that the WinCE implementation on Version 4 was stable and operated according to documented specifications.
In addition, RDA implemented API code to interface the Global Positioning Service (GPS) device to the device's application code. We also implemented the custom file system code, which was critical in storing the delivery data acquired during the day.
This project was challenging because custom hardware devices necessitated custom test development for CEValidator. Also, file system reliability and integrity of stored data was absolutely critical to the success of the project.
Dispatch Management SystemThe dispatch management system allows our client's dispatchers to log and assign package pickup requests to its delivery team. As part of its initiative to standardize on the operating system that serves applications throughout the country, our client decided to migrate this system from OS2 to Windows NT.
RDA brought extensive development experience on the Windows platform using C++ and MFC to our client. We worked with the client team, serving as technical specialists for the Windows NT operating system and for C++, MFC and COM technologies.
Automated Shipping System SoftwareAt the time of this project, our client supplied its largest customers with an automated shipping system that included a computer, thermal label printer, line printer, electronic scale and automated shipping software. This software allowed customers to print labels and digitally upload shipment data to our client.
The software was originally designed by an external third party. When our client decided to bring development in-house, they formed a team to accomplish the maintenance and upgrade of the application. RDA developers were brought in for their technology expertise and to mentor the client staff. As the project progressed, RDA took on increasing levels of leadership and subsequently supported three separate releases of the software. RDA also oversaw the application's upgrade from a 16-bit platform to Windows 95, 98 and NT.
In addition, RDA developed the international document generator, blending IT FlightPlan (RDA's object oriented process) as a guideline within the current environment. The document generator was separated to create a module that could be used with other client applications.
